Zhao Yeâs threats obviously lacked any real substance. If he wanted talk grudges, theirs had been set back when theyâd first robbed Scarface. Zhao Ye was only saying all that to save a bit of face in front of all the townspeople watching.
Given the circumstances, Ye Zichen smiled and let it pass. Instead, it was actually Wu Di who retorted furiously, âyou dare yell like that even now? Master, donât stop me. See if I donât crack his damn skull!â
Wu Di shouted and charged. Ye Zichen naturally understood what he was really up to, so he reached out and, seemingly with great effort, grabbed Wu Diâs arm and held him back.
Then he turned to Zhao Ye and the others and yelled, âwhy arenât you leaving? Get out here!â
At that moment, Wu Di started struggling with all his might.
âLet go of me, master!â he shouted, âIâve got to shatter their damn skulls! Donât stop me. This temper of mineâŠ..â
âHurry up and run!â
If Ye Zichen was going to play the role of good guy, heâd see it through to the end. His expression was so realistic, it was a bit unfair that no one stepped up to hand him an Oscar.
Zhao Ye couldnât quite figure out what the pair of them were up to, but he did know that if he really fought Wu Di in his current competition, the odds wouldnât necessarily be in his favor.
Zhao Ye dared not hesitate any longer. He hurriedly turned to his subordinates and shouted, âletâs go!â
The townspeople watched with rapt attention as the entire grand procession fled before their very eyes. Scarface wanted to blend into the crowd and escape, but before heâd taken more than a few steps, he heard a voice straight of a nightmare calling him.
âYouâŠâŠ wait a momentâŠâŠ.â
Ye Zichen didnât mention anyone by name, but Scarface knew in his bones that Ye Zichen was talking to him. Left with no other choice, he smiled bitterly and came to stop.
âBoss, please spare me just this once.â
Scarface was really on the verge of collapse. He never would have guessed Ye Zichen was so strong. Not even Zhao Ye could do anything against him!
Judging from Scarfaceâs tone, he was this close to bursting into tears. Ye Zichen drew in closer, a warm smile on his face.
âDonât be nervous,â he said. âYou gave me such a wonderful gift. How could I possibly harm you? You donât think Iâd do that, do you?â
Scarface knelt on the ground. There were truly no words sufficient to describe his bitterness. What on earth was happening? Getting robbed once was one thing, but even after all that effort to get back on his feet and convince a captain of the Axe Gang to help him get revenge, heâd just gotten robbed again.
It wasnât just that his savings of many years disappeared in a puff of smoke; even Zhao Ye had been robbed for everything he had. He was currently somewhat worried about just how he was going to face his superiors after returning to the gang.
The more he thought about it, the more his heart trembled but first things first. For now, he had to get past this walking disaster.
âSir, youâre absolutely rightâŠ.. This humble one had eyes, but was truly blind. Please take this as nothing but youthful ignorance and spare me just this once. If you let me go, Iâll definitely burn incense and pray to Buddha on your behalf!â
Scarfaceâs tone was utterly sincere. If heâd pounded his chest and added two lines of tears, it might have been even more effective.
Ye Zichen shook his head and smiled wryly. âBurn incense and pray to Buddha? Forget it. Letâs do this insteadâŠ.. Take off your pants.â
With that, this encounter with the Axe Gang was finally over. Scarface ran off, butt exposed, once more. However, this time there were countless people watching. Worse, quite a few townspeople recorded it onto jade slips.
When the townspeople looked at Ye Zichen, their gazes were full of worship and awe. In the Mortal Great District, only Ye Zichen dared provoke the axe gang like this.
Moreover, in their hearts, Ye Zichen was an expert who might very well have reached the immortal king level. Even in the Sky Great District, this sort of existence was as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns. To think heâd appear in their Mortal Great District! They couldnât help but be astonished.
Little did they know, at that very moment, on the ancient path to Raging Flame CityâŠâŠ.
Zhao Yeâs face was so dark, it was hard to see his expression. He was currently seated atop the jagged rocks lining the path. His subordinates were standing behind him.
Before long, bare-bottomed Scarface entered their line of sight.
Having his pants stolen wasnât as devastating as it had been the first time. It seemed heâd actually grown somewhat accustomed to it. However, the humiliation was still rather hard to take.
Shockingly, he wasnât currently plotting his revenge. Instead, his only concern was how to face Zhao Ye.
Against all expectations, Captain Zhao Ye, the very man he was currently worried about, had paused and was waiting for him not far in the distance.
Scarface seized up, but after a momentâs hesitation, he smacked himself on the face.
Then, smiling broadly, he jogged up to Zhao Ye. âCaptain, am I worthy of making you wait for me?â
Zhao Ye cast a sidelong glance at him. When he saw Scarfaceâs bare bottom, he pointed at an ancient tree. Instantly, the tree shook. Shortly after, leaves came falling from above, then hovered in mid-air. A thread seems to pass right through them, sewing them up into a grass skirt.
Zhao Ye passed it to scarface. âWear this; itâs better than nothing. Weâve all been robbed of everything we had, so we donât have any pants to offer you.â
âYour ExcellencyâŠ..â Scarfaceâs eyes welled with tears of gratitude. He buried his head in his hands, put on the grass skirt, and collapsed to the ground, choked with sobs. âYour Excellency, youâre far too good to me. This time, Iâve done you wrong. When we get back to the gang, I will definitely do everything in my power to compensate you for your losses.â
Zhao Ye really had borne a grudge against Scarface, but in the face of such sincerity, he could only sigh and let it slide.
âForget it,â he said. âI wouldnât have come if I didnât want to. If I want to blame something, I can only blame my own weakness.â
âHow could this possibly be your fault, Your Excellency? If you want to blame someone, blame that Ye whatshisname,â Scarface snorted. Theyâd found a common enemy. âHeâs obviously a mighty expert. Why feign cowardice as part of some sick joke? That Ye guy led us into a trap; heâs the one to blame!â
âThatâs right. He really was over the line.â
Zhao Yeâs gaze instantly darkened. He slammed his fist into the jagged rocks, instantly shattering them into countless fragments.
As Scarface and the others watched, their hearts trembled.
At the same time, Zhao Yeâs expression grew increasingly sinister. âWe absolutely canât just let this slide,â he snorted.â
âThatâs right. We absolutely canât just let this slide,â Scarface puffed up his chest and shouted back.
âYou feel the same way, right?â Zhao Ye glanced at him, a proud glint in his eyes. âFrom the very start, our Axe Gang has only ever stolen from other people. No one has ever stolen from us! When we get back, letâs go directly to meet the base leader. HmphâŠ.. Weâve got to teach that bastard a lesson!â
âWeâve got to teach him a lesson!â Scarface chimed in once more.
âWeâve got to teach him a lesson!â
The other gang members called out as well. Their cries were so loud, they seemed to shake the heavens themselves. Zhao Ye stood in front and nodded in satisfaction. Then, with a wave of his hands, he grunted, âletâs go! Return to the base!â
At that moment, Scarface finally sighed in relief. Life really was a stage; acting skills were of the utmost importance! If his performance hadnât been up to par, he might very well have lost his life here.
Zhao Ye thought Ye Zichen was in for a world of hurt after provoking the Axe Gang, but Scarface thought the exact oppositeâŠ. Provoking Ye Zichen, that star of calamity, was the Axe Gangâs grave misfortune!
Getting revenge on Ye Zichen? Donât kid yourselfâŠ..
Scarface roughly understood: getting revenge on Ye Zichen would be all but impossible. HoweverâŠ. Becoming Ye Zichenâs subordinate seemed far more promising than muddling around in the Axe Gang!
Especially since Ye Zichen currently only had Wu Di by his side. If he took this opportunity to give up his life of crime and live righteously, he would have seniority amongst Ye Zichenâs subordinates!
The more he considered this, the more reasonable it seemed. Besides, Ye Zichen didnât seem to have any particular enmity for him.
It seemed heâd have to create an opportunity to switch sides!
After the Axe Gang members left, the townspeople all tactfully returned home. However, on their way back, their hearts brimmed with excitement.
That had been the frickinâ Axe Gang! Yet Ye Zichen had beaten them so soundly, they didnât dare so much as fart. Although they hadnât personally taken action, in their hearts, everyone whoâd been robbed by the Axe Gang in the past felt deeply satisfied.
Before long, only Ye Zichen and Wu Di, master and apprentice, remained outside the city gates.
âMaster.â
Once everyone else had left, Wu Di scratched his head in embarrassment. Heâd said all that garbage to the Axe Gang, but it had been over ten years since heâd last talked like that. Now that they were alone, when he recalled everything heâd said, he really was a bit embarrassed.
âJust now, IâŠ..â
âYou did well just now,â Ye Zichen nodded in satisfaction and encouraged him. âTrash talk is sometimes very important. Even if you lose, you canât let others look down on you. Who cares if you can beat them or not? Youâve got to say whatever youâve got to say. In the future, speak as viciously as you can. Donât worry! Youâve got your master supporting you, after all. Also, that combination we used earlier worked well. Going forward, weâve got to use it often. Understood?â
âYour apprentice understands!â Wu Di cupped his hands respectfully, only to see Ye Zichen toss a couple of treasure bags and spatial rings at him.
âThose are all for you.â
Wu Di put them away, but just as he was about to say something, he noticed that Ye Zichenâs brows were tightly knit. âMaster?â
Ye Zichenâs expression softened. These Axe Gang members really wouldnât leave well enough alone. The next moment, he turned to Wu Di and said, âApprentice, we wonât stay in Black Ox Town any longer. Weâre going to Raging Flame City!â
Passively waiting for them to show up at his doorstep was obviously no good, and besides, it would be impolite not to return the favor.
Ye Zichen seemed to be sayingâŠ. This time, thereâs no need for you to come looking for me. Iâll seek you out myself!
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